Options suggested for long-term deployment

Thursday

Jan 3, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Elisabeth Bumiller THE NEW YORK TIMES

Gen. John Allen, the senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has submitted options to the Pentagon that would keep 6,000 to 20,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014, defense officials said Wednesday.

Allen offered Defense Secretary Leon Panetta three plans with different troop levels: 6,000, 10,000 and 20,000, each with a risk factor probably attached to it, a senior military official said. An option of 6,000 troops would likely pose a higher risk of failure for the U.S. effort in Afghanistan, 10,000 would be medium risk, and 20,000 would be lower risk, the official said.

But the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the options, said that a more important factor in the success of any post-2014 U.S. mission is how much — or whether — an Afghan government known for corruption can deliver basic services to the population.

Allen’s options offer ascending levels of U.S. involvement in guarding against the expansion of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and advising an Afghan military that has limited airpower, logistics, leadership and ability to evacuate and treat its wounded.

With 6,000 troops, defense officials said, the U.S. mission would largely be a counterterrorism fight of Special Operations commandos who would hunt insurgents. There would be limited logistical support and training for Afghan forces. With 10,000 troops, the United States would expand training of Afghan forces. With 20,000 troops, the Obama administration would add some conventional Army forces to patrol in limited areas.

President Barack Obama was expected to discuss the options when President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan visits next week. There are about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Under an agreement between NATO and the Afghan government, the NATO combat mission in Afghanistan is to end Dec. 31, 2014, when the Afghan army and police are to have full responsibility for their country’s security. But in recent months the Obama administration has been debating the size and mission of a residual U.S. force that would remain after 2014 to increase Afghan stability.

Defense officials said that Allen’s recommendations did not include options for the pace of withdrawals of the remaining 66,000 troops.